Sink ring fastener tool



April 16, 1968 G. M. JOHNSON SINK RING FASTENER TOOL Fl/GURE (6 Filed Jan. 5, 1967 United States Patent 3,377,894 SINK RING FASTENER TOOL Glen M. Johnson, 22 S. Jefferson St., Kennewick, Wash. 99336 Filed Jan. 3, 1967, Ser. No. 606,990 4 Claims. (Cl. 81-125) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An elongate tool with compound wrench-like head and screwdriver-like body to hold and manipulate hexagonal headed bolts for placement. The head includes two slideably related elements adapted to be manipulated near the handle to releasably engage and hold a hexagonally headed bolt. The tool is particularly adapted to position the bolts associated with sink rings in positions of potentially difiicult placement with ordinary tools.

My invention relates generally to an elongate wrenchtype tool with compound spring biased head to releasably hold a hexagonally headed screw-type fastener, during establishment, in operative position at a distance from the tool handle and more particularly to such a tool that is especially adapted to aid in establishing a bolt and associated sink ring lug on the underside of a sink ring between sink wall and cabinet wall.

A common type of sink ring structure has evolved embodying a peripheral ring, adapted to cover the joint between a sink rim and surrounding supporting cabinet, with a depending fastening arm projecting downwardly between sink ring and cabinet opening to operatively communicate with a fastening lug therebelow to releasably position all members relative to each other. This fastening is a T- shaped structure with one arm threadedly communicating with a hexagonally headed bolt adapted to be rotatably moved relative the lug and against the underside of the sink ring to accomplish the fastening function.

There commonly is not much clearance between sink side walls and adjacent cabinet walls and oftentimes fastening lug bolts are positioned with some difficulty. This type of positioning requires, generally, a tool that will securely hold the lug bolt so that it may be initially positioned at a distance from the point of tool operation and thereafter manually manipulated by the tool to rotate into the desired fastening position.

This problem has heretofore been considered and various tools have evolved in the art to aid in holding and positioning such bolts. Known tools, however, have either een of a complex structure resulting in high cost of manufacture, dilficulty of operation and lack of appropriate structural rigidity or have been such as not to fasten a bolt securely so that it is only with great difficulty that the lug bolt may be started in position. With these thoughts in mind, the instant invention was conceived to provide such a tool of great rigidity and durability that securely holds a hexagonal headed bolt during manipulative operations therewith. In so doing, it is:

A principal object of my invention to provide a tool of an elongate nature with compound head that releasably but securely holds a hexagonally headed bolt or screw to allow manipulation, particularly of a rotary nature, by a handle at a distance from the head.

A further object of my invention to provide such a tool that positions a held bolt so that the bolt axis may not be pivotably moved relative the tool axis to aid in initially establishing a bolt or lug in appropriate alignment.

A still further object of my invention to provide such a tool that is spring biased to a holding position, to automatically position and hold a bolt but require manual manipulation to release the bolt therefrom.

A still further object of my invetnion to provide such a tool that is particularly adapted for use in inserting bolts and associated fastening lugs to fasten a sink ring from the underside between the adjoining peripheral surfaces of the sink and supporting countertop thereabout.

A still further object of my invention to provide such a tool that is of new and novel design, of simple and economic manufacture, of rugged and durable nature and otherwise well adapted for the uses and purposes for which it is intended.

These and other objects of my invention will become apparent from consideration of the following specifications and accompanying drawings which form a part of this application. In carrying out the objects of my invention, however, it is to be understood that its essential features are susceptible to change of design and structural arrangement with only one preferred and practical embodis ment being illustrated, as required.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like numbers of reference refer to similar parts throughout:

FIGURE 1 is a partially cutaway, orthographic view of the head portion of my invention inserting a sink ring fastener on the underside of the joint between sink and supporting cabinet top, to illustrate particularly the method and nature of its operation.

FIGURE 2 is an orthographic surface view of my invention, at approximate normal size, illustrating its various parts, their configuration and relationship.

FIGURE 3 is an orthographic front-end view of the invention of FIGURE 2, showing its details from this aspect.

FIGURE 4 is an elongate cross-sectional view of the tool illustrated in FIGURE 2, taken on the line 44 thereon in the direction indicated by the arrows.

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view through the bolt head chamber of the invention of FIGURE 2, taken on the line 55 thereon in the direction indicated by the arrows.

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view of the sleeve moving collar of the invention of FIGURE 2, taken on line 66 thereon in the direction indicated by the arrows.

FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view through the communication of sleeve, collar and handle of the invention of FIGURE 2, taken on the line 77 thereon in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail, and particularly to that of FIGURE 1, it will be seen that my invention comprises generally handle member 10 structurally carrying inner shaft member 11, slideably supporting an external sleeve member 12, the latter two members cooperating in their forward end parts to form bolt-holding structure 13.

Handle member 10 is, externally, of the traditional handle shape, with body 14 impressed with grooves 15 to aid in manual manipulation, and forward neck 16 communicating to the cylindrical forestructure 17. This forestructure has an internal chamber 18 adapted to slideably receive the rearward portion of external sleeve member 12.

Inner shaft member 11 is an elongate structure with the handle portion 19 preferably fluted to aid in communication between this member and the handle. The shaft extends forward-1y from the handle to terminate in an enlarged head portion 20. The inner shaft member is substantially axially aligned with, and structurally carried by, handle member 10.

External sleeve 12 comprises pipe-like sleeve body 21, having central chamber 22 adapted to slideably fit about inner shaft 11. Sleeve knob 23 structurally communicates with the outer peripheral surface of sleeve 21 in its rearward or handle part, and has a rearward external configuration adapted to be slideably carried within chamber 18 of handle member 10.

Compression spring 38 is carried in chamber 18 to extend between the handle and rearward part of the sleeve knob to bias the outer sleeve to an extended position.

Bolt holding structure 13 of my invention is shown bestly in the cross-sectional illustration of FIGURE 4, et seq., where it is seen that the forwardly extended portion 24 of sleeve 12 is expanded to the shape of a slightly tapering truncated conic. The internal chamber is shaped as illustrated with one straight side 25 and a tapering side 26 adapted to fit about the correspondingly enlarged forward portion 27 of inner shaft 11. This structure allows the external sleeve 12 to move forwardly in axial alignment with inner shaft member 11, but be limited in its rearward motion to the position illustrated in FIGURE 4.

A portion 28 of the chamber adapted to receive bolt head 33 is formed in the inwardly facing or straight side 25 of external sleeve 12, and the balance 29 of this chamber is formed in the adjacent surface of inner shaft 11. To be operative, at least for a hexagonally headed bolt, the portion 28 of the blot head chamber must be substantially of the triangular shape illustrated in the cross-sectional view of FIGURE 5, so that a bolt may be moved laterally therein when the tool is in open position. Annular ridge 30 extends outwardly over the bolt head chamber 2% in the inner shaft portion to prevent a bolt from moving forwardly from the chamber if its head be engaged within the chamber.

Preferably inner shaft 11 and external shaft 12 are formed from tool steel or some similar material to give appropriate durability and rigidity to my invention.

Having thusly described the structure of my invention, its operation can now be understood.

To use the device, a tool is first constructed according to the aforesaid specification with an appropriately sized nut-head chamber 28, 29. The device is then manually manipulated to move sleeve knob 23 rearwardly on inner shaft 11, relative to handle 10, to leave bolt-holding structure 13 carried by inner shaft ill exposed. In this condition, a bolt is inserted into the exposed portion of the chamber 29 and sleeve knob 23 is manipulated, by moving it forwardly to slide the sleeve member around the bolt chamber, to the position shown in FIGURE 1. In this condition, shank 32 of bolt 31 will project forwardly from bolt head chamber 28, 29, through the orifice defined by annular ridge 3%, and head 33 of the bolt will be securely held in the head chamber by ridge 3%. In this condition, illustrated in FIGURE 1, the bolt will be held by the tool for manipulation, especially of a rotary nature. After the bolt be placed as desired, the tool may be released by the opposite procedure of moving sleeve knob 23 rearwardly and extracting the tool from the bolt head by slight lateral motion.

The use of the tool in applying a sink ring fastener 34 by means of its associated bolt 31 to a typical sink ring 35 covering the joint between a sink 36 and supporting counter top 3'7 is shown in FIGURE 1. It can here be seen how a bolt is held by the tool and how it facilitates manipulating the bolt and associated lug from a distant position. It is also obvious how the tool might be used in relatively narrow and tight locations.

From the foregoing description of my invention, it is to be noted that the head of my tool is a rigid structure which has no motion of a pivotable nature relative the tool axis of rotation, which might tend to cause problems in starting a bolt in threaded engagement in a hole or in positioning a lug relative its engaging structure.

It should be further noted that the head portion of my tool is externally a simple structure with no outside elements that might interfere with its activities and that the head is also of a relatively small size to allow use of the tool in small spaces.

It is further to be noted that when a bolt be appropri- 4 ately held by my tool, it will be quite rigidly engaged therein and not subject to any motion relative to the tool.

The foregoing description of my invention is necessarily of a detailed nature so that the specific embodiment of it may be set forth as required, but it is to be understood that various modifications of detail and rearrangement and multiplication of parts may be resorted to without departing from its spirit, essence or scope.

Having thusly described my invention, what I desire to protect by Letters Patent, and

What I claim is:

1. In a tool structure of the type described, to hold a headed bolt for placement at a point distant from the point of tool manipulation, the combination comprising:

a handle having means to aid manual manipulation thereof;

an elongate central shaft irrotatably extending forwardly from said handle;

an external sleeve slidably and irrotatably carried upon the central shaft over a substantial portion of the length of the central shaft and having means in the end most proximate the handle to aid manual manipulation thereof; and

a bolt holding structure associated with the parts of the central shaft and outer sleeve most distal from the handle, cooperating to form a bolt head chamber formed partially in each said central shaft and said external sleeve with an inwardly projecting rim about the peripheral portion of said chamber in one member receiving at least half of said nut head so that said sleeve may be slidably moved toward the handle to allow insertion of a bolt head in the bolt head chamber to be held therein with its shank projecting outwardly therefrom, when said sleeve be moved to a forward position.

2. The invention of claim 1 further characterized by spring means extending between said handle and said external sleeve to bias said external sleeve to an outwardly extended position relative said handle.

3. The invention of claim 1 further characterized by said central shaft carrying said rimmed chamber.

4. In a tool structure of the type adapted to hold a headed bolt for placement at a point distant from the point of tool manipulation, the combination comprising:

a principal handle having means to aid the manual manipulation thereof;

an elongate central shaft irrotatably carried by the handle, the outermost portion of the central shaft having a partial bolt head chamber therein with an inwardly projecting rim thereabout to slidably receive half of the head of a bolt thereunder;

an external sleeve irrotatably carried upon the central shaft for slidable motion toward the handle, the forwardmost part of the external sleeve having a partial bolt head chamber ada ted to cooperate with the partial bolt head chamber in the central shaft to receive and cooperatively support the head of a bolt with the shaft of the bolt projecting outwardly; and the rearwardmost part of the external sleeve having a handle means to aid the manual manipulation thereof; and

mechanical biasing means urging the external sleeve to a forward position relative the central shaft to hold a bolt in the bolt head chamber after placement therein for further manipulation.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,251,347 12/1917 Davis 8l--113 1,754,717 4/ 1930 Hughens. 2,693,729 11/ 1954 Lindsey 81125 MILTON S. MEHR, Primary Examiner. 

